140 Miles Coast to Coast!

Surprisingly (?) our heads were not as clear as on previous mornings as we assembled in the back room of the Packhorse for the obligatory full English.

After a minor puncture fix for Jonathan we set off...in the wrong direction! Clearly we wanted to avoid the hill that takes you quickly up onto the top of the north Pennines. Not the best idea on a full belly and after a skinful or two the night before!

But we were spurred on by the guide book that suggested after this climb it was a gentle descent for the remaining 30 miles to the east coast and the North Sea.

And so it proved to be: for much of the way we followed an old railway line across moorland initially and then through woods: a glorious cycling surface too that avoided too much further discomfort to bottoms that by now had endured a saddle for what would be over 19 hours in 3 days.

But it can't have been that bad an experience as no one attempted to throw themselves off the spectacular viaduct as we pedaled into Gateshead.

After twenty four miles we stopped at the Red Kite Inn - a prospective gold mine if they actually advertised their existence, and actually did offer 'good food all day'. And to cap it all Dave A's nuts had melted. So much for M&S quality. At least they let us fill up our waterbottles!

And after two days of eyewateringly glorious countryside we were back into urban sprall as we followed main roads along the wide and silty low-tide Tyne. An obligatory shot in front of the array of bridges that make up Newcastle's quayside followed an equally obligatory walk through the hordes visiting the Sunday food market. After the Bonney Moorhen last night none of us could face a traditional Polish barbecue!

Amazingly Tynemouth is a further 11 miles east from the city centre, but personally it could have been double that as I eeked out the last energy in my legs to pedal through the increasingly deprived suburbs. Just the thoughts of the truimphal finish spurred me on - fireworks? ice cream? a brass band? dancing girls? a sign to stand by to prove our achievement? What would be waiting for us?

In fact, not a lot. The toilet facilities at the sailing club were a welcome, but rather anticlimatic end. But WE HAD DONE IT! 141 miles in 3 days. And Dave A's superb organisation peaked with the arrangement of a large minibus to take bikes and men back to our cars in Penrith..... Ian was there waiting and ready to whisk us away.

It was rather sad that two days cycling took less than two hours to cover by road, but by 1630 we were all on the road home - which thanks to an incident free M6 I reached by 2030. Plenty of time to lift the heaviest bike in the world off the roof of the car and quickly throw some interestingly smelling clothes into the washing machine.

What a trip! - bravo to my cycle buddies, and double bravo to Dave A for making it all happen. A huge experience for us all...

Chris

P.S. Keep looking at the blog...over the next few days I will compile a video of the trip and also load up the official stats...